Every Second Counts
by PaddySnuffles
Summary: The link shack/trailer scene, from Neytiri's perspective. A oneshot for now but may be added to in the future if inspiration comes. Neytiri/Jake Spoilers for movie ending. Possible prelude to "A Jake By Any Other Name".
1. Breathe

**A/N: So, we had this freak blizzard an****d then this psycho wind storm. And if you live in the Canadian prairies (especially in the northen area) you know when I say that I mean tundra-style whistling wind, trees breaking in half, the whole caboodle. (I could actually hear the wind over the heater I put in my room to muffle the whistling sounds!) Wether due to the sudden weather change or not, my internet stopped working. No matter what I did or how much I swore and threatened, it wouldn't start. So, stuck at home with no chance of surfin' the net, I decided to write. Except my mom needed my computer. So instead of writing more of **_**In a Time of Magic**_**, and then having to re-write everything to fit what I'd written before I decided to give this plot bunny a go. Its been quietly waiting its turn ever since I saw Avatar for the first time in Brazil, so I figured I might as well give it its chance in the spotlight after it behaved so well. :)**

**Internet should be (hopefully) back to normal within the ne****xt couple days, at which time I'll be able to have my computer and thus post the next chapter of **_**In a Time of Magic**_**. Until then, hang tight folks, and sorry for the technical dificulties. :P**

**Disclaimer: **I sadly do not own Avatar. I am just a geeky fan that felt like writing her own version of the shack scene and sharing it with fellow geeks for entertainment.

**Warning****: Here there be spoilers! If you have not seen Avatar and don't want to know the ending before seeing the movie, save this for after you've seen it. This deals with one of the last scenes in the film. **

* * *

Neytiri felt panic surge through her body. Her mate was about to be killed in front of her and she could do absolutely nothing about it. Desperation gave her the strength to try and free herself one last time. With a strength she hadn't known she had she pushed at her fallen comrade whose body pinned her leg to the ground, while doing her best to pull her leg in the opposite direction. Somehow, after what seemed like years, she finally managed. Without pausing to so much as even think she rolled toward her dropped bow.

Every second counted.

She nocked an arrow and let it fly, trusting in her skill as a hunter to guide her. It did not disapoint – the man, Kwar'itch Jake had called him, looked down to his chest, surprise in his small cold eyes. He dropped the knife and Jake, and gave a pained huff as a second arrow found its mark. As the poison did its job the human fell to the ground.

Neytiri placed herself between her unmoving mate and the alien that dared threaten him. She gave a hiss of warning as the man glanced at Jake, but it was unecessary. For all their weapons and machines humans were tiny fragile beings, and their bodies succumbed to the poison much faster than any of the creatures it was intended for did. As soon as Kwar'itch could no longer hold himself up Neytiri turned away from him, dropping her weapon and placing all her attention on Jake.

Her mate lay exactly as he had landed when he had been dropped. Panic filled her again. Had she been too late? She checked for injuries, called his name, her voice becoming more and more desperate. She slapped his face, praying to Eywa that he would wake up, complainng about her rough treatment.

He didn't.

Fear of loosing him was blurring the edges of her mid, making it hard to think. Neytiri forced herself to focus. He had been like this before. The morning afteir their bonding, and then again when he had come to warn them of the impending disaster... Grace had had another body. A skyperson body. So Jake must have one too.

It was then she heard it.

A loud blaring sound, unnatural and very human, clearly a warning of some kind. She looked to the human building Jake and Kwar'itch had fought over, really seeing it for the first time. Jake had fought to protect it. It was important. And whatever or whoever was inside there was in trouble.

With a last worried glance back at her mate she sprinted the short distance toward the metal construction, skidding and banging against the side with a loud clang. She peered inside through a see-through area of the wall. The inside was a mess. Odd human machinery lay scattered everywhere, weird boxy chuncks of metal with a green glow emanating from inside splayed open. She caught sight of a leg, small and covered in a ridiculous ammount of clothing. A human leg.

She followed the wall of the human building until she came to an area Kwar'itch had managed to smash open in spite of Jake's efforts. She immediately leapt inside.

She saw a human sprawled on the floor, unmoving. Obviously male, he had the same odd pale pink skin Grace had had. (Human Grace anyhow). His legs lay at an odd angle, spread as if he had been dragging himself. His face was familiar. Though small, pink, and with short spiky hair the undelying features were that of her Jake. She called out to him.

Hopping over shards of something she rushed to his side, terror at his not having replied at her call. Terror escalated to horror when she realised he wasn't breathing. She shook him, calling his name. She tried to hold back a wail, turning it into a choked whine. She cradled his head in her palm, holding it steady as one would a baby. It was then she realised the stupidity her brain had succumbed to due to panic.

He was in a human body. He needed human air. Looking around wildly, she reached for a dangling face protector just like the one Kwar'itch had put on once she had broken through the clear protection he'd had before. She fumbled with it, strugling to line it up with Jake's face. Her usually nimble fingers felt heavy and uncoordinated. The only clear thought she could comprehend being _Please, no_. After what felt like hours the machine molded itself to Jake's face.

She watched and waited.

He wasn't waking up.

_Why wasn't he waking up?_

He _had_ to!

Pain shot through her body. Her stomach felt like someone had reached inside and was slowly pulling it our through her throat. Her heart felt at the same time like it was withering away and about to explode. She stuggled to breathe through the pain.

All of a sudden he spasmed, arms flailing wildly before reaching for the face covering, fixing it to work properly in quick panicked movements. All she was really aware of was the fact he was moving. the machine let out a hiss and Jake relaxed as the machine fogged up. She felt his ribs expand and retract with each deep gulping breath he took.

At the moment, nothing else mattered.

* * *

**Well? What d'ya think? I might add more to it at a later date, if inspiration decides to hit me over the head with a frying pan, but so far this is it. A oneshot. :)**


	2. Burn

**A/N: I did some research about what makes ammonia gas so dangerous. Apparently it likes to combine with water to form an acid. And as humans are mostly made of water it can be deady if there's prolonged exposure, or cause any number of damages to the eyes, throat, etc. My theory is that there wasn't enough concentration of ammonia in the atmosphere to cause serious damage to Jake's organs during the time he was without a mask. It was only enough to hurt like hell when he was without the mask and keeping him from getting oxygen into his lungs. **

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Avatar. But if Mr. Cameron wishes to give me his share of the rights, from one Canadian to another, I'll be more than happy to accept. So far he has not.

He felt the familiar pull of the tunnel, his vision swimming from the forest, to the tunnel, and the link chamber then suddenly back to the forest. He struggled to remain in the Avatar, but he could hear the warning bells clanging away about the air safety breach. Without warning, he found himself lying on his back surrounded by green light.

His throat, nose, and eyes burned. He fumbled with the chamber's inner lock, pushing it open and haphazardly pushed off the head and chest braces, desperate to get to a mask. He blindly grabbed for his chair, accidentally pushing it out of reach instead. In a blind panic he threw himself to the floor, forcing his eyes open to locate the emergency mask area.

The opposite side of the tiny hall-like room never seemed so far away, the emergency box never so high.

Jake dragged himself across the metal floor. If he'd had enough energy to scream he would have. The exercise forced him to breathe more deeply, thus causing the ammonia to further injure his system. He no longer could smell anything apart from the hospital smell, his nose and throat feeling more and more raw as the seconds ticked by. But the ammonia was too much for his system. It was pure adrenaline that had gotten him thus far, but his already overworked body could only do so much. He fell to the floor with a thud, the mask clanking down beside him.

But it was too late.

All Jake could do was lie on the cold grating, his body hyperventilating as a last frantic attempt to get the much needed oxygen. He heard Neytiri outside calling his name. He never got to find out what she thought of his human body, he thought fuzzily. In a way maybe that was better. He felt his vision blurring and he slowly drifted to unconciousness.

The next thing he knew was he could breathe a little easier. Not much, but enough to allow his brain to alert his body it was close to much needed oxygen and allow it one last push. As his senses came back to attempt to locate the source he realised there was a mask on his face. It wasn't sealed properly, hence the small ammount of breathable air. His arms spasmed in pain as he desperately searched for the vaccum lock button, feeling an overwhelming sense of relief as instinct and muscle memory guided his fingers. Breathing got easier as the mask moldedto his face, the clear hard plastic fogging up with his gulping breaths. As he presses the button that will clear the fog the light ache in his eyes is forgotten as e comes face to face with what he is sure is the most beautiful sight he has ever seen.

She is there, holding him.

That's when he realises she must have been the one to place the mask on him. He takes a few more deep breaths to clear his head and ensure his body has enough oxygen again. Then he sluggishly reaches up, touching her face.

"I see you," he rasps out weakly, exausted from the day's adrenaline overdrive. It's important for her to know he still thinks of the the same way in this body, though somehow he doubts she'll feel the same. To his relief she replies in kind.

And for a moment, nothing else matters.

**A/N: There! Jake's POV of the shack scene! :D What d'you guys think? **


End file.
